The Soccer Daily: 2010

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Primera - Villa to show respect to Valencia

Barcelona striker David Villa insists he will not celebrate if he scores against former side Valencia later this month as a mark of respect for the club he feels have made him the player he is today.

Barca host Valencia in the first game back when La Liga resumes after the international break and it promises to be an enthralling encounter at the Nou Camp.

Two-time reigning Spanish champions Barca are currently fourth in the standings while Valencia, despite seeing World Cup winners Villa, David Silva and Carlos Marchena leave this summer, are top of the pile with 16 points from a possible 18.

Primera - Mourinho rules out Bale deal

Jose Mourinho has effectively ruled out attempting to sign Gareth Bale by publicly stating his faith in Real Madrid left-back Marcelo.

Bale was reported to be a possible target for Mourinho, who was repeatedly linked with a move for the Tottenham Hotspur star during his time at Inter Milan last season.

Mourinho also spoke of his admiration for Chelsea Ashley Cole after arriving at the Bernabeu over the summer, but he appears to have been won over by Marcelo and is now content to have the Brazilian operating on the left side.

Serie A - Juve still keen on Dzeko

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has revealed the club are still keen on signing Wolfsburg star Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko, under contract until 2013, was eager to secure a move to Juve during the summer and claimed his club had "broken promises" by denying him the chance to leave.

Juve eventually made winger Milos Krasic their sole permitted non-EU signing for the transfer window, but Marotta is keen to see the deal completed in the future.

Serie A - Juve deny Buffon rumours

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has dismissed reports Manchester United are working on a deal to sign Gianluigi Buffon.

United are currently in the process of identifying a successor to Edwin van der Sar, who turns 40 this month, and have recently spent time scouting Atletico Madrid youngster David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard of Aalesunds.

Reports have suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson may have made a move for Italy goalkeeper Buffon, 32, but Marotta insists no talks have taken place over a deal.

Buffon will be out of action for the rest of the year after suffering a back problem during the World Cup.

EPL - Bendtner to return

Nicklas Bendtner has insisted he is firing on all cylinders as he targets a comeback for Arsenal in a fortnight's time.

Bendtner has not featured for the Gunners since aggravating a groin complaint when representing Denmark during the World Cup finals in South Africa in the summer.

Arsenal's medical team were initially fearful that the forward would not play again this year, but Bendtner has responded well to treatment and has been training freely for a couple of weeks.

He says he is now pain-free and has set his sights on the Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on October 19 for his return.

EPL - Vieira hints at retirement date

Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira has hinted that he could retire from professional football as early as the end of the 2010-11 season.

Vieira, 34, has enjoyed a 17-year playing career since making his debut with Cannes in 1993. He has won numerous trophies during spells with Arsenal and Inter Milan, though his league title with Juventus in the 2005-06 season was rescinded due to the calciopoli scandal.

However, the midfielder's playing time at Manchester City is somewhat limited and he has made only two appearances in the Premier League this season, including a four-minute cameo in the 2-1 victory over Newcastle on Sunday.

The former France international, who won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championships in 2000, now admits he is nearing the end of his professional career.

EPL - Mannone considering loan move

Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone is ready to go out on loan to gain first-team football after being frozen out at Emirates Stadium.

Mannone has not been given a chance to prove himself this season despite the poor form of first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and his understudy Lukasz Fabianski's history of mistakes.

The Italy Under-21 international, who spent a month on loan with Championship side Barnsley in the 2006-07 season, made five Premier League appearances last term and also started three of the club's Champions League group games.

But this season Mannone has dropped to fourth in the pecking order, with Wojciech Szczesny taking the place on the bench with Almunia recently out due to injury.

EPL - Van Damme likely to return to Belgium

Wolves defender Jelle van Damme could leave the club in January to return to Belgium.

Van Damme, who previously had a spell in England with Southampton, has failed to settle in the Midlands and has told manager Mick McCarthy he would like to return home if the opportunity arises.

The defender has not played since coming on as a sub in the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham on September 18.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

EPL - Newcastle urge FA to take De Jong action

Newcastle United have demanded strong action to be taken against Manchester City's Nigel De Jong as punishment for his leg-breaking tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa.

The Magpies have released a statement confirming they have written a strongly-worded letter to the Football Association asking for "the appropriate action" to be taken against De Jong for leaving Ben Arfa with a double break of his left leg. The incident went unpunished, even as a foul, by referee Martin Atkinson.

Ben Arfa now faces months on the sidelines after making a fine start to his Newcastle career and Toon boss Chris Hughton was unusually strident in his criticism of the Dutch midfielder, who has been gaining a notorious reputation in 2010. Previously, he achieved infamy for a March tackle on Bolton's Stuart Holden that left the American with a broken leg, and also for the chest-high kick on Xabi Alonso that caused worldwide disquiet when delivered in the World Cup final.

The latter incident saw match referee Howard Webb admit that he should have sent off De Jong but feared ruining the showpiece while Sunday's tackle on Ben Arfa has led to Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk dropping the City player from his squad ahead of a pair of Euro 2012 qualifiers. Van Marwijk explained the exclusion by saying that De Jong had clearly not responded to repeated warnings about the forcefulness of his tackling.

EPL - Chelsea star Alex out for three weeks

Chelsea defender Alex will be unavailable for up to three weeks due to a thigh injury sustained in Sunday's 2-0 win over Arsenal.

The Brazilian hobbled off in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge after his stunning free-kick had given his side an unassailable lead against their London rivals.

Alex will now miss his country's international friendless against Iran on Thursday and Ukraine on Monday, and Chelsea expect to be without his services for the Premier League tie against Aston Villa and Champions League fixture with Spartak Moscow following the international break.

News of Alex's injury is a setback for Chelsea as his defensive partner John Terry has also been suffering from fitness concerns in recent months.

Terry missed England's opening two Euro 2012 qualifiers due to a hamstring problem and although he has recovered from that injury, the former international captain says he is now suffering from bruised ribs ahead of his country's game against Montenegro on Tuesday.

Primera - Pedro sidelined for three weeks

Barcelona winger Pedro is set to be sidelined for around three weeks with a muscle injury, the Catalan club have confirmed.

Pedro was replaced late on in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Real Mallorca after damaging a muscle in his left leg and tests this morning have revealed the extent of the problem.

The estimated three-week lay-off would mean the World Cup winner will miss Spain's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland, and, depending on how his recovery goes, Barca's league games against Valencia and Real Zaragoza as well as their Champions League clash with FC Copenhagen.

Primera - Forlan open to departure

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan has revealed he would relish the chance to return to the Premier League.

Forlan, 31, first moved to Europe with Manchester United in 2002 but, despite becoming a favourite among the club's fans, he scored just ten goals in 63 appearances and left for Villarreal in 2004.

He has since become one of the most prolific strikers in La Liga, winning Spain's top scorer trophy in 2004-05 and 2008-09, and has now said he would be delighted to be given a second chance in England.

Despite reports of interest from Tottenham and United over the summer, though, Forlan denied that an offer has already come in and stressed that he remains contracted to Atletico.

EPL - Pires training with Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires has been training with the club again after he was released by Spanish side Villarreal in the summer.

Pires, 36, has been mulling over offers from America, China and Turkey among others, and has been back in London to get back to full fitness while he makes up his mind over his future. The move mirrors that of Sol Campbell, who returned to train with Arsenal before earning himself a short-term contract, but manager Arsene Wenger has tipped him for a transfer back to France.

Pires moved to the Gunners from Marseille in 2000 for a fee of £6 million and became one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League, winning two Premier League titles during his six years in London.

EPL - Man Utd eye Lindegaard

Manchester United look set to launch a January bid to sign Aalesunds goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard after Eric Steele, the Premier League club's goalkeeping coach, flew to Norway to scout the player for a fifth time.

United have been following Lindegaard for several months as they hunt for a successor to Edwin van der Sar. The Dutchman, who joined United from Fulham in 2005, turns 40 in October and is expected to announce his retirement at the end of the season.

Last weekend, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson flew to Valencia to cast his eye over another candidate, David de Gea, the Spain Under-21 goalkeeper, but switched his attention back to Lindegaard and dispatched Steele to watch the Denmark international during Aalesunds' 2-1 defeat at Stabaeck on Sunday.

Lindegaard, 26, originally moved to Aalesunds on loan after struggling to make his mark at Danish club Odense, but impressed so much that they signed him on a three-year deal. He made his international debut in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Iceland last month and has been attracting a lot of attention since claiming a regular first-team place at the Colour Line Stadion.

United sold England goalkeeper Ben Foster to Birmingham City in the summer and only have Tomasz Kuszczak as an experienced alternative to Van der Sar.

Serie A - Abbiati out for three weeks

AC Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a groin problem.

Abbiati, 33, sustained the injury during Saturday night's 1-0 win at Parma and will miss the majority of October's matches.

The former Italy international will sit out the glamour Champions League trip to Real Madrid on October 19 and the Serie A clash with Chievo three days beforehand. Marco Amelia, who joined Milan on loan from Genoa this summer, will deputise.

Primera - Valencia debt down to €400m

Valencia have reduced their debt by €150 million after selling three of the club's star players.

Club president Manuel Llorente says the debt stood at €550 million last summer and, following the sales of David Villa, David Silva and Carlos Marchena, it has now come down to around €400 million.

Llorente recently said Valencia, currently top of La Liga, would not be looking to sell any more players to bring the debt down further.

Valencia have invested €150 million in the construction of a new 75,000-capacity stadium, but the debt has stalled progress. Llorente recently said that he would be open to the prospect of a ground share if another club was willing to co-fund the project.

Primera - Diarra hints at Real departure

Lassana Diarra has hinted that he could leave Real Madrid if he is not given more playing time by coach Jose Mourinho.

Diarra, 25, has started only three of Real's games this season and is growing frustrated on the sidelines after spells at Arsenal and Portsmouth. He has been linked with a move to Manchester United in January and would follow in the footsteps of George Graham in the 60s and 70s who played for Arsenal, Chelsea and United if he did choose to move to Old Trafford.

The defensive midfielder has long been compared to France legend Claude Makelele since signing for Chelsea in 2005, but has failed to settle at his clubs and now looks to be keen to move on again.

EPL - Jovanovic dismisses quit reports

Liverpool forward Milan Jovanovic has dismissed reports that he is unsettled at the club and had threatened to leave in January.

Last week it was claimed the Serbia international, whose free transfer from Standard Liege was secured by Rafael Benitez before he left in the summer, was unhappy at Anfield after seeing his first-team chances dwindle already. However, the 29-year-old insisted nothing could be further from the truth.

Serie A - Muntari set for Inter exit

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari looks set to quit the Serie A club following a bust-up with manager Rafael Benitez.

Muntari was so furious about being omitted from the squad for Sunday's Derby d'Italia against Juventus that rather than watch the match from the stands he stormed out of the San Siro and went home.

Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport report Muntari will hold showdown talks with Benitez later this week and will be fined for his petulant reaction.

Benitez offered Muntari as part of a deal for Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt when he initially took over at the Nerazzurri in the summer and doesn't appear to be a fan of the 25-year-old Ghanaian international.

EPL - Schwarzer won't rule out January move

Mark Schwarzer has reignited the possibility of a move to Arsenal by saying he will consider any offers that are put to Fulham in January.

Schwarzer, 37, was the subject of interest from Arsene Wenger over the summer and even handed in a transfer request at Craven Cottage in an effort to secure a move to Emirates Stadium.

Fulham were unwilling to sell their No. 1, meaning Schwarzer was forced to remain with Mark Hughes' side. However, the Australian believes the situation could be reassessed in January.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

English Carling Cup - 3rd Round Draw

Ties to be played on week of September 20

Brentford v Everton

Portsmouth v Leicester

Stoke v Fulham

Chelsea v Newcastle

Aston Villa v Blackburn

Tottenham v Arsenal

Millwall v Ipswich

Wolves v Notts County

Burnley v Bolton

Birmingham v MK Dons

Liverpool v Northampton

Scunthorpe v Man Utd

West Brom v Man City

Sunderland v West Ham

Peterborough v Swansea

Wigan v Preston

EPL - Mascherano fee agreed

Liverpool have announced that they have agreed terms with Barcelona over the sale of Javier Mascherano.

Mascherano, 26, has been desperate to leave Anfield due to family reasons, and he has refused to play in Liverpool's last two games as he looks to force through a move.

Inter have also made an approach for the Argentina captain, but Hodgson said on Thursday night that he considered the offer to be derisory.

It is claimed that Inter offered just £6 million plus former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari.

Liverpool have now confirmed that they have agreed a fee with Barca, reported to be an initial €16 million rising to a potential €22 million.

EPL - Fulham sign Salcido

Fulham have completed the signing of Carlos Salcido from PSV Eindhoven, sewing up the Mexico left back for an undisclosed fee reportedly around £1.6million on Friday.

Salcido, 30, had also been linked with Liverpool, who may now step up their pursuit of Fulham's first-choice left-back, Paul Konchesky. It is unclear whether Salcido - who is new Cottagers boss Mark Hughes' third signing - will be registered in time to make his debut in Saturday's Premier League game at Blackpool.

Salcido began his professional career in his homeland nine years ago at Guadalajara. His performances at the 2006 World Cup earned him a four-year contract at PSV, who he has represented in the Champions League.

EPL - Newcastle announce Ben Arfa loan

Newcastle have announced the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa on an initial season-long loan deal from Marseille.

Ben Arfa, a French international, went on strike at L'OM in order to get a move away from the club and weeks of negotiations eventually came to a head on Saturday when his loan was approved.

EPL - Blackburn swoop for free agent Benjani

Blackburn have confirmed the signing of Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari on a one-year contract.

Rovers have an option to extend the deal by a further year after picking up the former Manchester City and Portsmouth striker on a free transfer. Benjani had been released by City at the end of last season.

Benjani will not be available for Saturday's clash with Arsenal as the paperwork for the deal was not completed in time. The Zimbabwe international had been training with Sam Allardyce's side as a free agent recently as he sought a deal to stay in the Barclays Premier League.

The Harare-born frontman, who is now 32, first came to England in 2006 when he joined Portsmouth from Auxerre. He failed to score during an eight-game loan spell at Sunderland last season.

Europa League - Group stage draw

Group A
Juventus
Manchester City
Salzburg
Lech Poznan

Group B
Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Rosenborg
Aris Thessaloniki

Group C
Sporting
Lille
Levski Sofia
Gent

Group D
Villarreal
Club Brugge
Dinamo Zagreb
PAOK

Group E
AZ Alkmaar
Dynamo Kiev
BATE Borisov
FC Sheriff

Group F
CSKA Moscow
Palermo
Sparta Prague
Lausanne Sports

Group G
Zenit St Petersburg
Anderlecht
AEK Athens
Hadjuk Split

Group H
Stuttgart
Getafe
Odense
Young Boys

Group I
PSV Eindhoven
Sampdoria
Metalist Kharkiv
Debreceni

Group J
Sevilla
Paris Saint Germain
Borussia Dortmund
Karpaty

Group K
Liverpool
Steaua Bucharest
Napoli
Utrecht

Group L
Porto
Besiktas
CSKA Sofia
Rapid Vienna

Serie A - Roma complete Burdisso signing

Roma have signed Nicolas Burdisso from Inter on a four-year contract following the Argentina defender's loan spell at the club last season.

The deal, worth €8 million to the Italian champions over three years, has been confirmed on Roma's website.

Roma added that the player will earn €3.8 million for his first season and €4.5 million in each of the following three campaigns.

The move will see 29-year-old Burdisso link up with his younger brother Guillermo, who joined the club earlier this month.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Primera - Supercopa for Barca

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona turned around a 3-1 first-leg deficit to claim the Supercopa with an impressive win over an under-par Sevilla side at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

David Villa came on to make his debut late on and new president Sandro Rosell was in his box seat for the first time in a night of celebrations.

Rosell was to win his first trophy as Barca chief, but the Catalans were also presented with the league trophy they won last season and welcomed back their World Cup winners too.

This is the eighth title for Guardiola in what is the beginning of only his third season in charge.

Serie A - Inter claim Supercoppa

Inter Milan earned their fourth piece of silverware in 2010 by lifting the Italian Supercoppa with victory over Roma; Rafa Benitez's first trophy with the Nerazzurri.

John Arne Riise put the visitors in front in the 21st minute, but Goran Pandev levelled four minutes before the break.

Samuel Eto'o scored in the 70th and 80th minutes to give Rafa Benitez a winning start on the Inter bench and earn the Nerazzurri their first success of the 2010-11 season.

Inter can potentially go on to clinch six trophies in 2010 by winning the European Super Cup against Atletico Madrid next weekend and the FIFA Club World Cup in December, to add to the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League they won last season under Jose Mourinho.

Primera - Squillaci set for Arsenal medical

Sevilla defender Sebastien Squilacci will sign for Arsenal, subject to him passing a medical in London on Monday, according to the Spanish club.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger claimed as recently as Friday that he was "far from being close to signing" Squillaci, though he did admit the defender was on his radar.

But it seems as though Wenger has managed to land further defensive reinfocements, adding to the capture of Laurent Koscielny earlier this summer.

Sevilla did not reveal how much Arsenal have paid for the France centre-back, though it had been reported that a fee of around 8 million euros would be enough to prise him away.

The former Lyon centre-half, who joined Sevilla from Les Gones two years ago, asked to be left out of the side for the Champions League play-off against Braga last week so he would not be cup-tied for European competition.

EPL - Bradley confirms interest in Aston Villa job

United States coach Bob Bradley says he is keen to hold talks with Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner about being their next boss following Martin O'Neill's exit earlier this month.

Bradley, who led the USA to the last 16 of the World Cup, has had no formal talks with Villa's American owner but his representatives have made contact with the club.

Villa play Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon bidding for their second win of the Premier League season with caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald in charge.

But while Bradley, 52, has a contract with the United States which runs until the end of the year, he is ambitious to manage in Europe.

Friday, August 20, 2010

EPL - Vidic inks new deal

Nemanja Vidic has signed a four-year contract extension to stay with Manchester United.

The announcement puts an end to the intense debate surrounding the Serbian for over 18 months, with his future seemingly destined to be away from Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson glad to have Vidic around until 2014.

Vidic arrived from Spartak Moscow in a £7.2million deal on Christmas Day 2005. Famed for his strength and no-nonsense approach to keeping forwards at bay, Vidic was a central figure in each of United's three successive title wins and their Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008.

With Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville missing and Ryan Giggs starting on the substitutes' bench, Vidic has skippered United this term and led the Old Trafford outfit to their Community Shield triumph over Chelsea at Wembley earlier this month.

Primera - Guardiola hopeful of making new signings

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola still hopes to make more signings ahead of the new Primera Liga season.

Barca have signed striker David Villa and utility player Adriano Correia so far this summer, but Yaya Toure has left the Nou Camp and Guardiola has a relatively small squad of 19 at his disposal.

Guardiola has hinted that young players will get a chance once again this term, but insists he is interested in bringing in more new faces as well.

EPL - Aquilani set for Italian loan

Alberto Aquilani is likely to join an Italian club on loan after new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson revealed Rafael Benitez's £20 million signing isn't in his first team plans.

Injuries helped prevent the midfielder from living up to his hefty price tag last season after joining from Roma a year ago and although he didn't say Aquilani's Liverpool career was over, Hodgson admitted the club was looking to farm out the 26-year-old Italian.

Benitez was criticised for his work in the transfer market during his Liverpool reign and the signing of Aquilani, who was injured long-term when he arrived at Anfield, as the expensive replacement for Xabi Alonso, was widely considered to be a bad piece of business. Aquilani showed some promise when he did take the field but those occasions were too few and far between for a key summer purchase.

Aquilani was not included in Liverpool's squad for Thursday night's Europa League play-off against Trabzonspor and discussions are underway over a possible move.

Serie A - Boateng moves to Genoa and joins Milan on loan

Genoa have completed the signing of Kevin-Prince Boateng from Portsmouth for a fee of around £5 million, though the Ghana midfielder has been immediately shipped out on loan to Serie A rivals AC Milan.

Boateng has been training with Milan this week while the two clubs have been thrashing out an agreement about the player's future.

The move will likely see Genoa make a healthy profit on the 26-year-old if he impresses at the San Siro, though he may bizarrely never end up playing a game for the Rossoblu.

Meanwhile, Genoa have loaned striker Robert Acquafresca to Cagliari. The 22-year-old struggled to impress either at Genoa or on loan at Atalanta last term and returns to the club where he made a strong impact in a loan spell two season ago.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

EPL - City complete Milner deal

James Milner's move from Aston Villa to Manchester City has been finalised, with midfielder Stephen Ireland moving in the opposite direction.

The much-protracted transfer sees Milner arrive at Eastlands in a reported £18 million deal, plus the £8 million-rated Ireland, with the England midfielder likely to make his debut against Liverpool next Monday.

Milner had been a target for Roberto Mancini for some time and the City manager's continued pursuit of the 24-year-old was thought to have played a role in former Villa boss Martin O'Neill's recent departure from the club.

After completing a medical late on Tuesday, Milner was at City's training ground and stadium on Wednesday to finalise the deal, which sees him take the No.7 shirt previously worn by the departing Ireland.

EPL - Oyston steps down as Blackpool chairman

Karl Oyston has resigned as chairman and as a director at Blackpool with immediate effect.

Oyston had already offered to step down earlier this month after questions were raised over his suitablility to lead a club in the Premier League.

And on Tuesday Oyston underlined the reasons behind his offer to step aside if another person could push the club forward in their debut Premier League season.

Oyston will remain as acting chief executive until the end of the season or new appointment is made. He will continue to work with manager Ian Holloway on the recruitment of players and on the Bloomfield Road stadium redevelopment project.

EPL - Stoke sign Jon Walters

Stoke have signed of Jonathan Walters from Ipswich for an initial fee of £2.75 million.

Walters, who can play as a striker or right winger, has signed a four-year deal with Stoke. A Republic of Ireland B international, his fee could rise to £3.25 million depending on appearances.

Walters, who scored eight goals in the Championship last season, began his career as a trainee with Blackburn before spells with Bolton, Hull, Wrexham and Chester.

EPL - Fulham sign up Dembele

Fulham have reinforced their attacking options with the signing of Belgium forward Moussa Dembele from AZ Alkmaar.

Dembele, 23, has signed a three-year deal at Craven Cottage and will compete with established first-choice striker Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson for a place in Mark Hughes' side.

The AZ star had been in talks with Birmingham City and also attracted interest from West Ham this summer.

Dembele has spent the past four seasons at AZ, scoring 24 goals in 118 games in the Eredivisie. He joined AZ from Willem II in the summer of 2006.

EPL - Liverpool announce Jones signing

Liverpool have formally announced the signing of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones on a three-year deal.

Jones joins the club for a fee of £2.3 million and will act as understudy to established No. 1 Pepe Reina, competing with Brazilian Diego Cavalieri for a place on the bench.

Jones, 28, emerged from the Middlesbrough academy and has spent loan spells with Stockport, Rotherham, Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday.

He becomes Liverpool's sixth signing of the summer following Joe Cole, Danny Wilson, Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanovic and Jonjo Shelvey.

EPL - Blackpool signs defender Keinan

Blackpool have completed the signing of Israel international Dekel Keinan.

Keinan, who has agreed an initial one-year deal with an option for a further 12 months, has become the seventh summer recruit for Tangerines boss Ian Holloway after moving on a free transfer from Maccabi Haifa.

The 25-year-old defender has passed a medical and been granted a work permit and will go straight into the squad for Saturday's trip to London to take on Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Blackpool have agreed a fee with AFC Bournemouth for striker Brett Pitman, after having a bid turned down earlier in the day. The League One striker scored a hat-trick against Peterborough at the weekend and scored 43 goals in the last two seasons in League Two.

EPL - Baggies confirms Odemwingie deal

West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo has confirmed the club have agreed terms with Lokomotiv Moscow forward Peter Odemwingie.

The 29-year-old, who has dual Nigerian and Russian citizenship and featured for the African nation at the World Cup this summer, is expected to complete the move imminently and could even be available to face Sunderland on Saturday.

Despite being brought up in Russia, Odemwingie chose to play for Nigeria and has 51 caps to his name, while his former clubs include La Louviere in Belgium and French side Lille.

Albion are also hoping to bring in Red Bull Salzburg winger Somen Tchoyi while they have had a bid rejected for Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson.

EPL - Nasri out for a month

Samir Nasri's impressive start to the new season has come to an immediate halt with the news that he will be sidelined for a month after undergoing knee surgery.

Arsenal have confirmed that Nasri requires surgery and that the midfielder will now miss around four weeks of the season.

Nasri impressed in the first half at Anfield as he deputised for captain Cesc Fabregas in a central role. However, the Spaniard is in contention to return for Saturday's game against Blackpool.

Arsenal have also seen Denilson and Alex Song suffer injury problems in the early part of the season although Johan Djourou has shrugged off a hamstring problem and is expected to play at the weekend with Laurent Koscielny suspended.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Int'l - Low confirms new two-year deal

Joachim Low has confirmed he will remain as Germany coach until after Euro 2012.

Low, 50, ended speculation over his future on Tuesday by announcing he has extended his contract by two years.

Low's previous deal expired after the World Cup, but the team's impressive display in South Africa - where they reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Spain - led to a public clamour for it to be extended.

Team manager Oliver Bierhoff, Low's assistant Hans-Dieter Flick and goalkeeping coach Andreas Kopke have also renewed their deals until after the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

EPL - Eduardo set to join Shakhtar

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed Arsenal striker Eduardo is set to join Shakhtar Donetsk.

Widespread reports on Monday said Eduardo would move to Shakhtar in a £6 million deal, and Bilic has now backed the Brazil-born Croatia international to succeed in the Ukraine.

Eduardo is reported to have completed a medical at Shakhtar on Monday.

EPL - Arsenal and Birmingham City join vuvuzela ban

Arsenal and Birmingham City have followed the lead of Tottenham Hotspur and announced that the infamous vuvuzelas will not be welcome in their stadia.

Vuvuzelas were the source of heated debate during the World Cup in South Africa as the droning sound of the instruments became a familiar one throughout the tournament.

Tottenham announced on Monday that vuvuzelas would be banned from White Hart Lane and North London rivals Arsenal have taken the same step on Tuesday.

Birmingham City are the third Premier League club to ban the instruments.

Serie A - Papastathopoulos joins Milan

AC Milan have confirmed the signing of defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Genoa.

Papastathopoulos, 22, is said to have cost around €5 million. Milan have also allowed Gianmarco Zigoni, Nnamdi Oduamadi and Rodney Strasser to join Genoa on a co-ownership arrangement as part of the deal.

It is believed Papastathopoulos, who represented Greece at this summer's World Cup, will operate as a right back. He made 50 appearances for Genoa after leaving AEK Athens in 2008.

Serie A - Giovinco to leave Turin this summer

Juventus playmaker Sebastian Giovinco will leave the club in the summer, according to his agent, as he has not been guaranteed first-team football ahead of the new season.

Giovinco has long been tipped as one of the hottest talents in the Italian game, but has struggled to assert himself under numerous managers in Turin and will now leave the Old Lady in a bid to play more games after a meeting with new boss Luigi Delneri.

The 23-year-old is reportedly being tracked by the likes of Arsenal, Bari and Parma with Bari coach Giampiero Ventura already openly expressing his interest in the player.

Primera - Filipe Luis set for Atletico switch

Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro has confirmed negotiations are at an advanced stage for the sale of defender Filipe Luis to Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish press claimed this morning that a deal was imminent for the Brazilian left back, who is set to join Atletico for a fee of €12 million. The player is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday before signing a four-year deal with Quique Sanchez Flores' side.

Filipe almost signed for Barcelona last summer, but Deportivo demanded €20million for the full-back and they ended up signing Maxwell from Inter Milan instead.

The player then suffered a serious injury to his right fibula in a match against Athletic Bilbao last January and only returned just before the end of the season.

His sale will allow the club to pay off the reported €4 million owed to midfielder Sergio Gonzalez in unpaid wages. Failure to pay that debt by August 2 could have seen them punished with relegation to the Segunda Division.

Monday, July 19, 2010

EPL - Cole opts for Liverpool on four-year deal

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has agreed sign for Liverpool on a free transfer, subject to a medical.

It has been reported that Cole, 28, was offered wages of £90,000-a-week to stave off interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Cole left Stamford Bridge at the end of last month after Chelsea decided not to offer him a new deal.

Cole will head to Liverpool for his medical in the next 48 hours when his move to Anfield will be rubberstamped. It may be seen as a statement of intent from new manager Roy Hodgson, who was expected to make few major signings this summer due to the club's financial constraints.

With Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard thought to be considering their futures on Merseyside, supporters will hope the signing of Cole will indicate an ability to challenge for a place in the top four this season.

EPL - Lombardo joins City coaching staff

Former Italy international Attilio Lombardo has joined Manchester City's coaching staff, linking up with former Sampdoria team-mates Roberto Mancini and David Platt at Eastlands.

Lombardo, 44, is the second addition to the Eastlands staff this summer after Platt arrived earlier this month, and has experience in the Premier League, having become a cult figure at Crystal Palace in the late 90s as a player and player-manager.

The former Juventus midfielder made 19 appearances for the Italy national team and became friends with City boss Mancini while playing at Sampdoria.

Lombardo arrives at Eastlands having worked with Sampdoria's youth team and managed Swiss side FC Chiasso since retiring as a player. He has already begun work with the team on tour in the United States.

Serie A - Viola agree Insua fee

Fiorentina have agreed a fee with Liverpool over defender Emiliano Insua.

Insua, 21, played regularly at left back under Rafael Benitez last season, but it appears new manager Roy Hodgson is happy to allow the player to move on as he reshapes his squad.

Insua is now travelling to Italy to discuss personal terms.

The move would leave Hodgson short of options at left back, with Fabio Aurelio also having departed this summer following the expiry of his contract.

EPL - Dorrans signs new contract with WBA

Graham Dorrans has moved to end speculation about his future by signing a contract extension with West Bromwich Albion.

Dorrans, 23, has been the subject of interest from West Ham United through the summer with the Hammers seeing two bids rejected. Manchester City were also linked with the attacking midfielder.

West Brom always insisted that Dorrans, who joined the Baggies from Livingston for just £250,000 two years ago, was not for sale. The player only signed a contract extension in January but the newly-promoted Premier League club felt they would have to go further to end West Ham's pursuit.

Dorrans has signed a four-year contract at the Hawthorns, with an additional year in the club's favour.

Dorrans scored 13 Championship goals last term as West Brom were promoted to the top flight behind Newcastle United. The Scotland international was named in the divisional Team of the Year.

Primera - Zaragoza swoop for Franco

Real Zaragoza have confirmed the signing of former Argentina goalkeeper Leo Franco from Galatasaray.

Franco, who has played more than 300 Primera Division matches in spells at Mallorca and Atletico Madrid, is back in Spain to make Zaragoza his fourth club in the country, having also had a brief stay at Merida.

The 33 year-old, who appeared for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup, is set to compete with fellow new signing Toni Doblas for the goalkeeping spot next season.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Serie A - Genoa cool interest in signing Boateng

Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini has played down the club's interest in signing Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng from Portsmouth.

Boateng was attracting interest from the Serie A club following his exploits at the World Cup finals and Genoa were considering signing the midfielder in a co-ownership deal with Lazio.

However, Gasperini has cooled on the issue, and was equally coy when questioned about his interest in Sporting midfielder Miguel Veloso.

Serie A - Man City Balotelli bid rejected

Inter Milan have rejected a €25 million bid from Manchester City for striker Mario Balotelli.

City officials, who were in Italy to tie up a deal to sign Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio, met with their Inter counterparts late on Thursday night but were told to come back with a bigger offer.

However, president Massimo Moratti professes to know nothing of the reported talks between the two clubs.

Inter play Manchester City in friendly on July 31 in Baltimore, USA, and it's thought the deal could be concluded by then.

EPL - Hammers confirms double deal

West Ham have signed Mexican winger Pablo Barrera and Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne and are poised to confirm the signing of defender Tal Ben Haim.

Barrera represented Mexico at the World Cup and will join the club from Pumas UNAM in a £4 million deal. He has agreed a four-year contract with a one-year option with the Hammers.

Piquionne played under Grant during a loan spell with Portsmouth last season and has been in East London to undergo a medical and conclude negotiations.

The Hammers have been in talks with Ben Haim, who has an escape clause in his Portsmouth contract which was activated upon their relegation to the Championship, for weeks. West Ham have finally come to an agreement over his wages, which were £50,000-a-week at Fratton Park.

EPL - Gordon out with fractured arm

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will not be fit for the start of the new campaign after fracturing a bone in his arm during pre-season training.

Gordon has undergone what the club describe as a "minor operation" but it is reported that the injury could sideline the Scotland international for up to three months.

In November 2009 Gordon suffered a similar injury following a collision with Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe and did not appear for the Black Cats again until January 23.

Sunderland have not confirmed the likely duration of Gordon's recovery, only that he "is set to miss the start of the season".

EPL - Ferguson extends Birmingham deal

Birmingham midfielder Barry Ferguson has signed a one-year extension to his contract to remain at St Andrew's until the summer of 2012.

Ferguson, 32, was named the club's players' player of the season last campaign and has impressed since moving to the midlands from Rangers last summer and was delighted to have signed his new deal.

The Scot also revealed that playing a part in a strong season for Alex McLeish's side, who finished ninth in the Premier League against expectations, had made it an easy decision to stay.

EPL - McCarthy denies Arsenal offer

Mick McCarthy has denied receiving a bid from Arsenal for Kevin Doyle and says the striker will be staying at Wolverhampton Wanderers, barring a huge offer.

Doyle is reported to be interesting Arsenal after scoring nine goals for Wolves last season following a club record £6.5 million move from Reading.

But McCarthy says Arsenal have not been in contact and will only consider losing the Republic of Ireland international if a silly proposal arrives.

EPL - Sonko heading to Portsmouth

Despite operating under a transfer embargo, Portsmouth have agreed a loan deal for Stoke City defender Ibrahima Sonko.

Portsmouth are currently in administration and are not permitted to sign players. However, the Football League does relax those rules if a club has less than 20 players on their books.

Portsmouth are now awaiting confirmation from the league that they can sign a player who made nine appearances on loan at Hull City last season.

Friday, July 2, 2010

EPL - City complete Toure deal

Manchester City have completed the signing of Yaya Toure from Barcelona on a five-year deal.

Toure, 27, has long been linked with a move to Eastlands and, having agreed a deal for David Silva earlier in the week, Roberto Mancini said he is delighted by the new arrivals.

The move unites Toure with his brother, Kolo.

EPL - Benayoun completes Chelsea move

Chelsea have completed the signing of Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. And Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano could soon follow him out of the door.

The sale of Benayoun to Chelsea was completed personally by owner Roman Abramovich, who will now step up his efforts to capture Torres.

Hodgson plans talks with Gerrard, Torres and Mascherano but all three are now likely to leave Anfield, according to sources.

Benayoun moved to English football in 2005 when joining West Ham United from Racing Santander. He was signed by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez three years ago for £5 million and despite scoring important goals could never force himself into the starting team on a regular basis.

EPL - Greening joins Fulham

Jonathan Greening has joined Fulham on a permanent deal following his season-long loan from West Brom.

The 31-year-old midfielder has agreed a two-year contract to remain at Craven Cottage. The former Middlesbrough player was a member of the side beaten in the Europa League final in May and was keen to extend his stay.

EPL - Platt joins City's coaching staff

Former England midfielder David Platt has joined Manchester City as first-team coach.

Platt, 44, was a team-mate of City manager Roberto Mancini at Sampdoria.

EPL - Simonsen released by Stoke

Goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has left Stoke on a free transfer, the Premier League club have announced.

Simonsen had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave the Britannia Stadium if he was offered the chance of a move by another club.

Simonsen, who spent the closing stages of last season on loan at Championship side Sheffield United, leaves after six years at Stoke. He joined Stoke on a free transfer from Everton but found himself third choice behind Danish international Thomas Sorensen and Asmir Begovic.

Primera - Cruyff loses title

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has been stripped of his title of honorary president of the Catalan club following the takeover of Sandro Rosell on Thursday.

Cruyff was given the title in April by former president Joan Laporta, but Rosell argued in his election campaign that the decision was undemocratic, claiming the club members (socios) should have been given the right to vote on such an appointment.

And Rosell, who secured a landslide election victory on June 13 and took over officially on Thursday, has moved quickly to strip Cruyff of the title.

Barca's socios will now have the chance to vote on whether they want a president of honour and if so, who it should be. However, Cruyff will be recognised one way or another.

Serie A - Inter Milan sign Faraoni

Inter Milan have announced Marco Davide Faraoni has signed a four-year contract at the San Siro.

Inter reportedly beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to snap up Faraoni, who had come to the end of his contract at Lazio. Defender Faraoni has put pen to paper on a deal which ties him to the San Siro until 2014.

Faraoni had been at Lazio for nearly 10 years but had never made a first-team appearance and told reporters his decision to leave stems from the belief the club he supports is not focusing on youth. He has been part of the Italy Under-19 squad on several occasions.

Serie A - Krasic reiterates Juve desire

CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic has reiterated his desire to join Juventus but has suggested he could consider a move to Manchester City.

Krasic, 25, has long been linked with a move to Juventus and, with his contract due to expire in December 2011, there have been suggestions he has threatened to leave on a free transfer if he is not granted a move this summer.

However, while he would love to sign for Juve, he insists he has not issued any ultimatum to his club.

Roberto Mancini had previously suggested City could be interested in Krasic and, while the Serbia international is determined to join Juve, he is not ruling out a switch to Eastlands.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

EPL - Chelsea make £50 million bid for Torres

Chelsea are waiting to hear back from Liverpool having lodged a £50 million bid for Fernando Torres.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has given the green light to what would be the biggest domestic transfer in Premier League history, but will have to out bid Manchester City.

Liverpool, who are still to appoint a new manager after parting company with Rafael Benitez last month, have not formally acknowledged Chelsea's approach.

The blues are also in the hunt to sign Yossi Benayoun from the Anfield club.

Serie A - Maicon expects to complete Madrid move

Maicon expects to complete a move from Inter Milan to Real Madrid in the near future, according to his agent.

Jose Mourinho has already identified Maicon as one of the players he would like to bring with him to the Bernabeau and the Brazil defender's agent, Antonio Caliendo, has now confirmed the clubs are in talks.

EPL - Tosic joins CSKA Moscow

Manchester United flop Zoran Tosic has left the club for CSKA Moscow.

Tosic is currently with Serbia at the World Cup but failed to play any part in their opening game defeat to Ghana in South Africa.

The 23-year-old managed just 17 minutes of Premier League football for United in the 2008/09 season and he hardly featured at all in manager Sir Alex Ferguson's plans last season, despite regularly playing for his country.

The winger spent the latter half of the season on loan with FC Cologne, helping the club preserve their Bundesliga status by scoring five goals. He has signed a five-year deal with CSKA.

Serie A - Palermo sign Maccarone

Palermo have signed well-travelled forward Massimo Maccarone from Siena for an undisclosed fee.

Maccarone, 30, has signed a three-year deal with the option of a fourth as he joins the tenth club of his career.

The twice-capped Italy striker failed to build on the potential he showed as a youngster at AC Milan and Empoli, and struggled during a spell in England with Middlesbrough, but restored his reputation during three years at Siena as he scored 44 goals in 95 appearances.

However, his goals were not enough to save Siena from the drop at the end of last season, allowing Palermo to swoop in as they reinforce for their UEFA Europa League campaign next season.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

WC2010 - Iniesta has minor muscle injury

Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has a "minor muscle injury", the national team doctor has revealed.

Iniesta was the star performer as Spain defeated Poland 6-0 in Murcia on Tuesday, with the Barcelona midfielder setting up two goals in the opening 15 minutes.

Iniesta was forced off after 39 minutes after feeling discomfort in his thigh and having missed much of last season with a thigh injury coach Vicente del Bosque was unwilling to take any risks.

However, Dr Oscar Celada revealed that Iniesta does have a slight injury, and that the midfielder wopuld undergo furthe tests on Wednesday.

Iniesta was one of three Spain players who ended the season injured, making his Barca comeback right at the end of the team's successful league campaign.

He looked to be suffering no ill effects from his thigh problem in Spain's friendlies against Saudi Arabia and South Korea, but Del Bosque and his staff are likely to tread very carefull with one of their most influential players.

The other two recovering players, Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres, both featured as substitutes on Tuesday and scored against Poland. For Torres, it was the first appearance since a knee operation in April and the player was happy to return.

With Torres and Fabregas both looking good, Spain will also now hope Iniesta is fit in time for their Group H opener against Switzerland on June 16.

WC2010 - Frei limps out of training

Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is anxiously awaiting news from his medical staff on the condition of Alexander Frei after the captain limped out of the team's final training session in Zurich on Thursday.

Frei remained on the ground after a tackle from Steve von Bergen and, after receiving treatment from the team doctor and physio, he was helped away from the field and may not be able to board the flight which takes Switzerland to South Africa tonight.

Should the 30-year-old striker be ruled out of the World Cup, it would be yet another severe blow both for the player and the national team.

Frei tore knee ligaments during the first half of Switzerland's first game of Euro 2008 against the Czech Republic and had to leave the field in tears and follow the rest of the competition from the sidelines.

He is Switzerland's all-time top goalscorer with 40 goals and has just returned to his best form with 15 goals for Swiss champions FC Basle in 19 games last season.

WC2010 - All Whites handed Brown boost

Tim Brown's World Cup dream remains alive after he was given the go-ahead to join his New Zealand team-mates in South Africa having made good progress in his recovery from a fractured shoulder.

Brown suffered the injury during New Zealand's friendly against Australia and underwent surgery to insert three screws into his damaged right shoulder two weeks ago.

The recovery time was expected to be six weeks but such has been Brown's determination to get fit for football's showpiece event that his rehabilitation is three weeks ahead of schedule and he is set to depart New Zealand on Thursday.

Wellington's Cole Peverley has been training with the squad in Europe and South Africa since being called up on standby for Brown and he will remain with the team as injury cover.

Coach Ricki Herbert, who vowed to give his workhorse midfielder as much time as possible to prove his fitness, said the squad were delighted to be able to welcome back such an integral player.

Primera - Xavi signs new Barca deal

Xavi Hernandez looks set to retire at Barcelona after agreeing an extension to his current contract which could keep him at the club until 2016.

Xavi, 30, is currently preparing for the World Cup with Spain, but is back in Barcelona on Wednesday to sign the agreement with Barca president Joan Laporta.

Barca revealed that the new deal would allow Xavi to retire at FC Barcelona, provided he remains an important player to the team.

In order to trigger the new clause, Xavi must play at least 50% of Barca's matches in the last two seasons of his remaining deal, while his release clause of €80million euros will remain the same.

By the end of the extra two years, Xavi, who joined Barca at the age of 11, will be 36 and will have spent his whole career at the Catalan club.

Serie A - Roma confirm signing of Brazilian star

Adriano has undergone a medical at Roma and is set to be unveiled as the Giallorossi's latest signing on Wednesday.

The club have called a press conference for 1700 local time. No details of the signing have yet been announced by the club.

The 28-year-old Adriano is a free agent after the expiry of his deal with Flamengo.

He has previous Serie A experience, with his career peaking while he was at Inter Milan, before he suffered from personal problems and returned to his homeland.

EPL - Blues confirm triple departure

Chelsea have confirmed midfield duo Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, plus defender Juliano Belletti will all leave the club this summer.

The trio's contracts are up at the end of this month and the future of Cole in particular has been the subject of increasing speculation.

The 28-year-old, who is part of England's World Cup squad in South Africa, has already been linked with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham.

Ballack leaves Chelsea after four years with the club unwilling to offer the German the two-year contract he was seeking.

The 33-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge following the end of his contract at Bayern Munich with a reputation as one of Europe's best players and on the back of a brilliant World Cup.

But he has largely failed to live up to that billing, with injuries keeping him out of the team for lengthy spells.

Belletti, 33, was also signed by Mourinho in August 2007 and leaves after completing his three-year contract.

EPL - Grant gets work permit

West Ham have confirmed that Avram Grant has had his work permit application approved to allow him to become the club's manager.

The Israeli agreed a four-year contract last week to succeed Gianfranco Zola at Upton Park and was awaiting only approval from the Home Office. That has now been secured and he can begin his new role on an official basis.

Grant had already made former Aston Villa and Stuttgart midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger his first signing last Saturday.

EPL - Senderos signs for Fulham

Fulham have announced the signing of Swiss defender Philippe Senderos on a three-year deal from Arsenal.

Senderos, 25, was one of Arsenal's longest serving players having joined the club from Servette in June 2003 but was unable to secure a regular first-team place in recent seasons.

He spent the 2008-09 campaign on loan at AC Milan and also made three appearances during a five-month stay at Everton last season as he failed to make an impression under David Moyes.

Senderos famously started the 2005 FA Cup final ahead of Sol Campbell as Arsenal defeated Manchester United on penalties but having been unable to deliver on that early promise at Emirates Stadium, he is now looking forward to a fresh start at Craven Cottage.

EPL - Everton sign Portuguese youngster

Everton have signed striker Joao Silva from Desportivo Aves on a three-year deal.

Silva, 20, made his breakthrough last season and has already represented Portugal at Under-20 level.

The youngster was the second top scorer in the Portuguese second tier last season with 14 goals in 32 appearances.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

WC2010 - Nani ruled out of World Cup

Portugal have confirmed winger Nani is out of the World Cup after he suffered a collarbone injury.

Nani suffered the problem in training before flying out to South Africa but the problem was not thought to be serious.

However, further tests have revealed the injury is more serious than previously feared and the Manchester United man will now be replaced by Benfica midfielder Ruben Amorim in the squad.

EPL - City release trio

Manchester City have released Martin Petrov, Benjani Mwaruwari and Sylvinho after their contracts expired.

Petrov, 31, moved to Eastlands from Atletico Madrid in 2007, but frequent injuries have restricted his opportunities and he spoke out against former manager Mark Hughes last season.

Benjani, also 31, was another Sven-Goran Eriksson signing and joined the club after a successful spell with Portsmouth, but he had found first-team opportunities limited and went out on loan to Sunderland in February.

Former Arsenal and Barcelona defender Sylvinho, 35, joined the club on a one-year deal last summer but made only nine starts as he struggled to keep pace with the Premier League.

Monday, June 7, 2010

WC2010 - Bendtner and Kjaer fitness battle

Denmark coach Morten Olsen is weighing up whether to risk Nicklas Bendtner and Simon Kjaer in their opening World Cup match against Holland on June 14.

Highly-rated defender Kjaer suffered a knee injury in a friendly against Senegal on May 27 while Arsenal striker Bendtner has been dogged by a thigh problem.

Denmark have other injury worries to contend with as goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is still recovering from the dislocated elbow he sustained playing for Stoke in April.

Captain Jon Dahl Tomasson's bid to end his 13-match scoreless run is not being helped by a groin problem.

WC2010 - Double injury boost for Honduras

Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda received some rare good news on Sunday with encouraging fitness reports on injured players Wilson Palacios and David Suazo.

Honduras, winless in their last five games heading into a World Cup Group H campaign against Spain, Chile and Switzerland, saw Tottenham midfielder Palacios leave Saturday's 3-0 warm-up defeat to Romania on a stretcher with a shin injury.

Palacios was taken to an Austrian hospital for tests on the injury to his shin, while Suazo had left the field with a problem with his right leg.

Team athletic trainer Carlos Velasco said the outlook for both players was good, although Palacios' problem would take longer to heal.

Honduras open their campaign against Chile in Nelspruit on June 16.

WC2010 - Australia allowed to replace keeper

FIFA has granted Australia permission to replace goalkeeper Brad Jones in their World Cup squad after he was granted leave due to a family illlness.

Jones has returned to Perth in Australia to be with his family after his young son was reportedly diagnosed with leukemia. Australia applied to FIFA for the right to replace Jones, should he not return to South Africa in time for the tournament, based on the 'special circumstances' surrounding his absence.

FIFA has agreed to the request, allowing Eugene Galekovic, who was already in South Africa training with Australia as an extra squad member, to replace Jones as Pim Verbeek's third choice goalkeeper behind Mark Schwarzer and Adam Federici if the Middlesbrough player remains at home. Understandably, it is not yet uncertain whether Jones will return to South Africa.

Primera - Higuain signs new Madrid deal

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2016.

Higuain had been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer but he verbally agreed a new deal last week. He was Madrid's top scorer last season with 27 goals, second only to Lionel Messi in the Liga scoring charts.

Higuain joined Madrid in December 2006 from River Plate.

Serie A - Huntelaar won't contemplate Spurs switch

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has firmly ruled out a departure from AC Milan this summer and says he is determined to perform to his peak next season.

Huntelaar - who is currently preparing for the World Cup finals with Netherlands - is consistently linked with a move away from Milan and Tottenham are the latest club reported to be interested in the striker.

But after scoring seven goals in 25 appearances in Serie A last season, Huntelaar does not feel he has displayed his best form for the Rossoneri and is keen to do so before contemplating any other options.

Huntelaar scored freely for both Heerenveen and Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie but following a move to Real Madrid in January 2009 has failed to rediscover that prolific touch.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

WC2010 - Ivory Coast hopeful over Drogba

Didier Drogba has had successful surgery on his broken arm and Ivory Coast are confident he will be able to play some part in the World Cup finals.

Drogba, captain of the Elephants, could still miss the tournament but the country's medical team are refusing to give up on their talisman.

The striker suffered the injury against Japan in Switzerland on Friday and was immediately flown to Berne for specialist attention.

The Ivory Coast federation (FIF) have announced that Saturday's operation was "a success" but have not yet confirmed how long the forward is likely to be sidelined for.

Ivory Coast face Portugal, Brazil and North Korea in Group G.

EPL - Boateng seals Man City move

Jerome Boateng has completed a reported £11 million move to Manchester City from Hamburg.

City had been tracking Boateng for months, finally sealing a deal which will see the defender officially sign for the Eastlands club on July 1.

Boateng, who is in Germany's squad for the World Cup finals, has penned a contract to run until the end of the 2014-15 season.

Boateng, the brother of Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince, began his career with Hertha Berlin before moving to Hamburg in 2007. He has five full Germany caps.

EPL - Hammers sign Hitzlsperger

New West Ham manager Avram Grant has made former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger his first signing at Upton Park, with the Germany international joining on a free transfer from Lazio.

The midfielder joined Lazio from Stuttgart on a short term contract in January, but struggled to break into the Bianconeri's first-team - his failure to make an impression eventually costing him a place in Germany's World Cup squad.

Hitzlsperger is no stranger to the Premier League having played for five years at Villa Park, and will now try his hand for another claret and blue team in the top flight after signing a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year with the Hammers.

Friday, June 4, 2010

WC2010 - Ferdinand ruled out of World Cup

England captain Rio Ferdinand will miss the World Cup after suffering a knee injury in training on Friday morning. His absence has been confirmed by the Football Association and Michael Dawson will now fly out to replace him.

England had been relieved to see Gareth Barry return to training at their Rustenburg camp and the midfielder could be in contention to feature in the country's opening game against USA on June 12, but preparations took a worrying turn when Ferdinand suffered the problem towards the end of the session in a challenge with Emile Heskey.

The Manchester United defender was taken to hospital to assess the problem and left on crutches. It was confirmed that Ferdinand has suffered ligament damage, ruling him out for between four and six weeks.

Ferdinand suffered extensively from injuries at Old Trafford last season and was able to start only 12 Premier League games as various fitness problems took their toll.

However, Barry's return is a grain of positive news for England as the midfielder had been a doubt to make the squad due to an ankle injury sustained in a Premier League game against Tottenham on May 5.

WC2010 - Evra to take French armband

Defender Patrice Evra will captain France at the World Cup as Thierry Henry has accepted his place on the bench for the duration of the tournament.

Evra wore the France armband for the first time against Costa Rica in the 2-1 friendly win, while Henry has found himself on the sidelines in recent matches, despite leading his side through qualifying - including the controversial play-off win over Republic of Ireland.

Nicolas Anelka has been preferred in Henry's position, and the Barcelona striker accepted coach Raymond Domenech's decision to keep him out of the side earlier in the week.

EPL - Essien signs new contract

Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Michael Essien has signed a two-year contract extension at Stamford Bridge.

Essien, who has not represented Chelsea since December due to injury, is now tied to the club until 2015 after committing his future to Carlo Ancelotti's Double winners.

A knee problem prevented Essien from featuring for the club in the second half of the season and ruled him out of Ghana's World Cup campaign, but the 27-year-old has at least been heartened by news of the new deal.

Essien joined Chelsea from Lyon in the summer of 2005 and while he has suffered extensively from injuries in recent seasons, he remains one of the Premier League's leading midfielders.

Serie A - D'Agostino joins Fiorentina

Udinese have confirmed they have sold midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino to Serie A rivals Fiorentina.

D'Agostino has been a regular for Udinese since moving from Messina in 2006.

The former Roma midfielder enjoyed his best season in 2008-09, with 11 goals in 36 appearances, and was heavily pursued by Juventus and Real Madrid before both were reportedly put off by the hefty transfer fee.

It has not been disclosed how much Fiorentina have shelled out for the Italy international, who turned 27 today, but it is thought to be in the region of €9 million.

D'Agostino made his Italy debut last summer and has five caps for his country but failed to make the World Cup squad.

Serie A - Cassetti agrees new deal

Roma defender Marco Cassetti has agreed a one-year contract extension with the Serie A club

Cassetti, a 33-year-old full-back, made 34 appearances in all competitions last season as Claudio Ranieri's side finished as runners-up to Inter Milan in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Serie A - Mihajlovic confirmed as Fiorentina's new coach

Fiorentina have confirmed the appointment of Sinisa Mihajlovic as the new head coach of the Serie A side.

Fiorentina have released Cesare Prandelli to allow him to replace Marcello Lippi as Italy coach following the World Cup finals and have moved quickly to find a replacement.

Mihajlovic - who represented Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan during his playing career - resigned as Catania coach after helping the club to avoid relegation.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

WC2010 - James given England No.1 shirt

England coach Fabio Capello has yet to show his hand over who will be his first choice goalkeeper at the World Cup, but has given an indication it could be David James by giving him the No.1 jersey.

James appears to be in pole position to start England's first group game against the United States on June 12, as rivals Robert Green (12) and Joe Hart (23) have missed out on the coveted shirt number.

Peter Crouch who was handed the No.9 short, looks likely to play alongside Wayne Rooney (10) for the duration of the tournament. Spurs winger Aaron Lennon will wear No.7 with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard keeping their respective No.4 and No.8 jerseys.

Joe Cole will take the No.11 shirt while full-backs Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole take Nos.2 and 3.

Squad numbers:

1. David James
2. Glen Johnson
3. Ashley Cole
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Rio Ferdinand (capt)
6. John Terry
7. Aaron Lennon
8. Frank Lampard
9. Peter Crouch
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Joe Cole
12. Robert Green
13. Stephen Warnock
14. Gareth Barry
15. Matthew Upson
16. James Milner
17. Shaun Wright-Phillips
18. Jamie Carragher
19. Jermain Defoe
20. Ledley King
21. Emile Heskey
22. Michael Carrick
23. Joe Hart

EPL - Benitez leaves Liverpool

Rafael Benitez has left Liverpool by mutual consent.

Benitez, who took over from Gerard Houllier in 2004, found his position untenable after a disappointing season which saw Liverpool finish seventh in the Premier League, just 12 months after being runners-up to Manchester United.

After a poor start to the campaign, which included an exit from the Champions League in the group stage, Benitez guaranteed he would qualify for the competition in 2010-11. But Benitez failed to deliver on that guarantee and only booked a place in the Europa League due to Portsmouth's perilous financial state, with Liverpool losing 19 matches in all competitions.

Failure to qualify for Europe's elite competition has ramifications for Liverpool's own finances, leading to speculation that star names such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres could be sold off to balance the books.

News of the 50-year-old's impending exit broke on Wednesday evening with talks underway to agree a compensation package. It is thought Benitez will receive a £6 million pay-off.

The Liverpool board feels that the club needs a new direction to stand any chance of finishing in the top four next season.

Benitez, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and also reached the final 2007, is now the favourite to take over at Inter Milan following Jose Mourinho's exit for Real Madrid and Fabio Capello's decision to stay with England.

Serie A - Maicon targets Madrid move

Inter Milan defender Maicon has expressed his desire to leave the reigning European champions and follow former coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid.

The highly-rated Brazilian has been heavily linked with a move to the Spanish capital in the wake of Mourinho's switch from Inter to the Bernabeu, and he suggested last week that he would consider leaving the San Siro.

Manchester City are also believed to be be interested in the right-back, but Maicon now admits that his sights are set on a move to Madrid.

Serie A - Cannavaro joins Al Ahli

Al Ahli have confirmed the signing of Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro on a two-year deal.

Cannavaro, 36, captained Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and was named FIFA World Player of the Year, and he returned to Juventus last summer after a three-year stint with Real Madrid.

However, Juve decided against extending his contract after a disappointing season and, having failed to win a contract with hometown club Napoli, he has now opted to join defending UAE League champions Al Ahli.

Cannavaro, who has 132 caps for his country, will lead Italy in South Africa this summer before retiring from international duty.

Primera - Jonathan signs new contract with Barcelona

Barcelona youngster Jonathan dos Santos has signed a contract extension with the Spanish champions, tying him to the Nou Camp for a further two years.

Jonathan has progressed through the ranks at Barcelona since joining their youth team in 2002 and made his debut this year. The 20-year-old featured in three league matches, one Champions League game and a Copa del Rey tie.

Jonathan will now remain at the Nou Camp until 2012, while his release clause has also been upped to €30 million. The midfielder was included in Mexico's preliminary squad for the World Cup but was left out of the final 23.

EPL - West Brom sign Ibanez from Atletico

West Brom have confirmed they have completed the signing of Spanish defender Pablo Ibanez on a free transfer.

Ibanez has put pen to paper on a three-year deal which will come into effect on July 1 after his contract with Atletico Madrid expires.

The 28-year-old made just a handful of appearance last season following Quique Sanchez Flores' appointment as coach.

Ibanez has spent the last seven seasons in the Primera Division, making his top-flight debut in 2003 with hometown club Albacete. However, he lost his status as a regular starter in 2008 and made just seven appearances last campaign following the summer signing of Juanito and the arrival of Sanchez Flores.

Ibanez made 23 appearances for Spain and started three of their four World Cup matches in 2006 alongside Carlos Puyol.

EPL - West Ham confirm appointment of Avram Grant

Avram Grant has been confirmed as the new manager of West Ham, after he signed a four-year contract, subject to being granted a work permit.

Grant will join the club fresh from leading Portsmouth to the FA Cup final and will replace Gianfranco Zola, who was sacked at the end of the season.

EPL - Wigan boss Martinez hit with fine

Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has been fined £2,250 by the Football Association and warned about his future conduct following comments made about referee Stuart Atwell.

Martinez made the comments in the wake of Wigan's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Eastlands on March 29.

The Wigan boss had been angered by Atwell's decision to send of Gary Caldwell for a challenge on Carlos Tevez with the game at 0-0.

The charge was proven at a personal hearing with the Independent Regulatory Commission on Wednesday.

EPL - Craddock signs new deal

Wolves defender Jody Craddock has committed himself to the club for another year by signing a new contract.

Craddock, 34, has agreed a 12-month deal which will keep him at Molineux until the end of next season.

The defender, who made his 500th career appearance last season, joined Wolves in a £1.75 million switch from Sunderland in July 2003, and is delighted to be still plying his trade in the Premier League.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

WC2010 - England named final squad

Arsenal's Theo Walcott will not be going to the World Cup in South Africa after England manager Fabio Capello omitted the winger from his final 23-man squad.

Walcott scored a memorable hat-trick as England secured a crucial 4-1 World Cup qualifying victory against Croatia in Zagreb, but that was back in September 2008 and he has struggled for form since.

Sunderland striker Darren Bent, Tottenham duo Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone, Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, Everton defender Leighton Baines and West Ham's Scott Parker also missed out.

Squad:

Robert Green, Joe Hart, David James, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

WC2010 - McCarthy out of World Cup finals

South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer Benni McCarthy has been left out of the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup finals.

West Ham United striker McCarthy has struggled for fitness in recent months and has been criticised for being overweight.

He was one of five players cut from a 28-man training squad with goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez, defenders Bryce Moon and Innocent Mdledle and midfielder Franklin Cale also omitted.

Squad:

Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Shuaib Walters (Maritzburg United), Siboniso Gaxa (Sundowns), Anele Ngcongca (Genk), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth), Matthew Booth (Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Lance Davids (Ajax Cape Town), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Kagiso Dikgacoi (Fulham), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs), Surprise Moriri (Sundowns), Bernard Parker (FC Twente), Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows)

Primera - Mourinho unveiled as new boss

Jose Mourinho has been officially paraded in front of the press as the new manager of Real Madrid.

Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to an unprecedented treble last season, takes over from Manuel Pellegrini who was sacked after finishing second in La Liga and failing to get past the Second Round in the Champions League.

Mourinho is the Spanish giants' ninth coach in six years, with Real paying a reported ¬8 million in compensation.

EPL - Ramsey commits long-term future

Arsenal starlet Aaron Ramsey has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.

Ramsey, 19, joined the Gunners from Cardiff in the summer of 2008 and played 29 times this season before having his campaign cut short by an horrendous leg break suffered against Stoke City in February.

The £4.8 million signing is expected to make a big impact at the Emirates in the coming years.

Ramsey is already won 11 caps for Wales and is a key player in John Toshack's youthful squad.

EPL - Van Damme signs for Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers have completed the signing of Belgium international Jelle Van Damme from Anderlecht.

Van Damme, who spent two seasons at Southampton between 2004 and 2006, joins for a fee of approximately £2.5 million and has signed a three-year contract at Molineux.

The left-sided defender, who can play at full-back or at centre-back, is looking forward to the challenge of Premier League football.

Serie A - Giampaolo takes over as manager of Catania

Marco Giampaolo has been appointed as the new head coach of Catania.

Giampaolo replaces Sinisa Mihajlovic, who left the Sicilian club last week having guided them to Serie A survival.

The 42-year-old had been out of a job since being dismissed as coach of Siena in October.

Under Mihajlovic, Catania finished 13th in Serie A, 10 points clear of the drop zone. Mihajlovic is set to be unveiled as Fiorentina boss this week.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

WC2010 - Eto'o named in Cameroon's final 23

Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen has named star man Samuel Eto'o in his 23-man World Cup squad despite the striker's claims he might walk away from the tournament.

Eto'o is unhappy with comments made by legendary former striker Roger Milla and though he missed the 1-1 draw with Slovakia, Le Guen has named him in his 23.

While striker Jacques Zoua was already out through injury, Le Guen cut another six names from his squad. Jean Patrick Abouna Ndzana, Amour Patrick Tignyemb, Makadji Boukar, Marcel Ndjeng, Patrick Mevoungou and Dorge Kouemaha are the names dropped.

Arsenal's Alex Song - and veteran uncle Rigobert - will be on the plane, as will Tottenham pair Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong.

Squad:

Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes); Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor); Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), , Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal); Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Achille Webo (Mallorca)

WC2010 - Kevin-Prince Boateng in Ghana squad

Kevin-Prince Boateng has been included in Ghana's 23-man squad for the World Cup finals.

Berlin-born Boateng played for Germany at every level up to and including under-21, but he recently opted to switch his allegiance to Ghana after becoming frustrated with a lack of opportunities under Joachim Low.

And he survived the cull which saw coach Milovan Rajevac reduce his squad from 30 players to the required 23.

Stephen Adams, Eric Addo, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Laryea Kingston, Haminu Draman and Bernard Kumordzi were the men to miss out.

The Portsmouth midfielder recently came in for criticism for a heavy challenge on Germany captain Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final which led to the Chelsea star being ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury.

The match against Germany could also see Boateng come up against his half-brother Jerome, who plays for Hamburg.

Ghana and Germany are joined in Group D by Serbia and Australia.

Squad:

Richard Kingson, Daniel Agyei, Stephen Aholu; John Paintsil, John Mensah, Samuel Inkoom, Hans Adu Sarpei, Rahim Ayew, Lee Addy, Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah; Kwadwo Asamoah, Anthony Annan, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Stephen Appiah, Andre Ayew, Derek Boateng; Asamoah Gyan, Prince Tagoe, Dominic Adiyiah, Matthew Amoah.

Int'l - Prandelli to take Italy job

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli will replace Marcello Lippi as Italy boss after the World Cup after it was revealed that he will sign a four-year contract.

Prandelli will be officially presented after the World Cup and there are details which have yet to be decided, like the make-up of the backroom staff.

The coach has spent five years at Fiorentina, twice taking them into the Champions League and has now reached an agreement with Federation President Giancarlo Abete.

Euro 2016 - France confirmed as host nation for Euro 2016

France has been chosen as the host nation for Euro 2016, beating rivals Italy and Turkey to the honour at a ceremony in Geneva on Friday afternoon.

UEFA president Michel Platini, who was not allowed to have an input in the bidding process, announced that his home country had won the right to host the tournament which will be the first to include 24 teams.

UEFA's executive committee favoured France over rival bids from Turkey and Italy, meaning the country will host its first major finals since the 1998 World Cup, which les Bleus won when beating Brazil in the final. France also hosted the 1938 World Cup and the 1984 European Championship.

Italy, which had its bid championed by former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, hosted the European Championship in 1968 and the World Cup in 1934 and 1990. Turkey has never hosted a major championship.

EPL - Modric signs new six-year deal

Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric has signed a new six-year contract with the club to quash reports of a possible move to Manchester United this summer.

Modric arrived at White Hart Lane from Dinamo Zagreb in July, 2008 and established himself as a vital player for the club in their successful push for the top four.

Serie A - Giovinco eyes summer exit

Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco claims he will leave the club if they continue to leave him on the bench.

Giovinco is viewed as one of the hottest young prospects in Serie A, but has struggled to make an impact in Turin after returning from his loan spell at Empoli in the summer of 2008.

Having spent another season on the sidelines as Juve struggled in the league - failing to even qualify for the Europa League - Giovinco now has his eyes on a move.

Serie A - Promotion joy for Lecce and Cesena

Lecce and Cesena were promoted to Serie A on the final day of fixtures in Italian football's second tier.

Lecce, having wasted opportunities to make sure of promotion in their last two matches, are celebrating their eighth elevation to the top flight in the last 25 years after a goalless home draw with Sassuolo clinched the Serie B title.

Cesena accompany the Salentini into Serie A, with on-loan Chievo midfielder Marco Parolo giving them a 1-0 win at Piacenza which sealed the runners-up spot and ended a 19-year exile from the top division.

Brescia, who started the day in second place, slipped up with a 2-1 defeat at Padova - and will join Sassuolo, Cittadella and Torino in the play-offs.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Primera - Real clinch Mourinho deal

Inter Milan have confirmed they have reached an agreement over compensation for Jose Mourinho and he will now be presented as the new head coach of Real Madrid on Monday.

Madrid sacked Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday and outlined their intention to replace him with Mourinho once both they and the Portuguese had negotiated his release from Inter.

The two clubs had been struggling to reach a compromise as Inter were insisting they must be paid the full €16 million due to them under the terms of Mourinho's contract.

However, an agreement, reported to be worth €8 million, has been reached after a meeting between Real president Florentino Perez and his Inter counterpart Massimo Moratti in Milan.

WC2010 - Lahm named Germany captain

Philipp Lahm has been confirmed as Germany's new captain, although he will not be leading the team out for their friendly international against Hungary on Saturday.

Lahm will wear the captain's armband in South Africa due to the injury-enforced withdrawal of Michael Ballack while Bastian Schweinsteiger has been named as vice-captain.

EPL - Grant named as new manager of West Ham

Avram Grant is the new manager of West Ham United - subject to the formalities of a work permit.

Grant was wanted by half a dozen clubs in Europe, but has chosen West Ham and an instant return to the Premier League after relegation with FA Cup finalists Portsmouth.

Grant quickly rose to take the position despite candidates such as Mark Hughes, Slaven Bilic and Steve McClaren being in the frame.

McClaren opted to switch from Dutch to German football with Wolfsburg, while Hughes believed he would attract a much bigger job and priced himself out of the market. Bilic considered a return to Upton Park where he was a popular player but wanted a £40 million transfer budget - out of proportion with the Hammers' financial predicament.

David Sullivan and David Gold were attracted to Grant by his heroics at Fratton Park with penniless Pompey. West Ham, too, are working on a tight financial restraints, and Sullivan revealed recently that the club were days away from administration before they took over with a £50 million, 50% takeover at the turn of the year.

This week Sullivan and Gold bought a further stake for £8 million, £4 million going into the club to meet pressing liabilities and for down payments on new signings. Grant's first task is to sort through a list of nearly 30 players who are available for transfer and who would welcome a move to Upton Park.

EPL - Wolves confirm £40m Molineux expansion

Wolves have unveiled exciting plans for a £40 million redevelopment of Molineux which would take its capacity to 36,000 in time for the start of the 2014-15 season.

The project, which will be submitted for local authority approval in late July, and was made public to local residents for the first time on Thursday as part of a consultation meeting. The club's vision comprises of four phases, although planning permission will only initially be sought for the first three phases.

Phase one is scheduled to start with the demolition of the Stan Cullis Stand at the end of the forthcoming season, with a state-of-the art two-tier structure constructed that extends into the open corner of the Steve Bull Stand - starting a stadium bowl design.

Phase two will then see a new two-tier Steve Bull Stand built over the course of the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons in time for the start of 2014/15 - taking Molineux's capacity from 29,303 to 36,000.

Phases three and four respectively, which are subject to supporter demand and not included in the £40m figure, would see the Jack Harris Stand regenerated to match the first two stands and take capacity to around 38,000. With early plans also drafted to possibly redevelop the Billy Wright Stand to take the figure up to 50,000.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

WC2010 - Holland name final squad

Orlando Engelaar was one of four players to miss out as Holland boss Bert van Marwijk made the final cut to his 23-man World Cup squad.

The Dutch football association released a statement revealing Engelaar, Vurnon Anita, Ron Vlaar and Jeremain Lens will not travel to South Africa before Van Marwijk's official announcement.

PSV Eindhoven midfielder Engelaar was the only player of that quartet to have played for Holland at a major tournament, having started all four matches of their run to the quarter-finals at Euro 2008.

Holland have been drawn in Group E at the World Cup alongside Denmark, Cameroon and Japan.

Squad:

Sander Boschker (FC Twente), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht); Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Edson Braafheid (Celtic), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax); Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid); Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Eljero Elia (Hamburg), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

WC2010 - Essien ruled out of World Cup

Ghana's World Cup preparations have suffered a huge setback with the news that a knee injury will prevent Chelsea star Michael Essien from playing in the finals in South Africa.

Essien sustained the injury during Ghana's African Nations Cup campaign in January and missed the remainder of the Premier League season as a result.

Ghana manager Milovan Rajevac said only on Wednesday he was "confident" Essien would play some part in the World Cup, but the nation's FA has confirmed the midfielder will not recover in time for the tournament.

Essien has started only 23 Premier League games for Chelsea in the past two seasons as he has been dogged by injury.

WC2010 - Few surprises as Bradley names squad

USA head coach Bob Bradley sprang few surprises when he named his 23-man squad for next month's World Cup in South Africa, with Brian Ching the most notable absentee.

The US, who lost 4-2 to the Czech Republic on Tuesday in a friendly, open their campaign against England on June 12 in Rustenburg before facing Slovenia on June 18 in Johannesburg and Algeria on June 23 in Tshwane/Pretoria.

Bradley revealed that he cut his training squad from 30 to 23 ahead of the June 1 deadline in order to begin team-building. The most surprising omission was striker Brian Ching, who won his 45th cap as a second-half substitute against the Czechs in East Hartford.

Instead, Bradley went for the pacier Real Salt Lake frontman Robbie Findley in a forwards unit that also includes Jozy Altidore, Mexico-based Herculez Gomez and Major League Soccer leading scorer Edson Buddle, the latter two winning their third and second caps respectively on Tuesday.

Squad:

Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves), Tim Howard (Everton), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca).

WC2010 - Lee Dong-Gook set to miss opener

Lee Dong-Gook is set to miss South Korea's World Cup opener against Greece on June 12 due to a hamstring injury.

Lee, who now plays for Jeonbuk Motors after a spell with Middlesbrough, was left out of the 2002 World Cup by coach Guus Hiddink and missed the 2006 tournament through injury, and now looks likely to miss the Group B clash.

Coach Huh Jung-moo will name his final 23-man squad on May 31, the day after Korea face Belarus before rounding off their pre-tournament campaign against Spain on June 3.

Serie A - Sampdoria appoint Domenico Di Carlo as coach

Sampdoria have appointed former Chievo coach Domenico Di Carlo as their new manager on a two-year contract, after Luigi Del Neri left to join Juventus.

Di Carlo, 46, kept unfancied Chievo in Serie A for two successive campaigns, but has just three years coaching experience in the top flight.

Samp finished fourth in the league last season and will play in the Champions League qualifying round.

Reports in Italy suggest that one of Di Carlo's first transfer targets at his new club will be French striker David Trezeguet.

Trezeguet has one year left on his Juventus contract and has not ruled out staying at the Old Lady, but his family reside in Monaco which is why he could be tempted by a move to nearby Samp.

Serie A - Prandelli free to leave Viola

Fiorentina will not stand in Cesare Prandelli's way if he decides to accept an offer to coach Italy.

Prandelli is under contract with Fiorentina for a further year but has an offer from the Italian football federation to replace Marcello Lippi as national team coach after the World Cup.

Giving Prandelli the choice of whether to stay or depart was not an easy decision for Fiorentina executives, considering the impact the coach has made since arriving from Roma in summer 2005.

He transformed the 'Viola' from relegation strugglers into a team worthy of a Champions League spot in his first season in charge. Despite the 15-point deduction handed to Fiorentina for the match-fixing scandal, Prandelli was able to guide the team to a sixth-place finish in Serie A in 2007.

The following year, Prandelli steered Fiorentina to a fourth-place finish and qualification for the Champions League group stages. After the departure of Carlo Ancelotti from AC Milan to Chelsea last summer, Prandelli became the longest serving manager in Serie A.

Abete confirmed this week that he will announce Lippi's successor before Italy travel to South Africa on June 6. Fiorentina are expected to confirm Serbian coach Sinisa Mihajlovic as Prandelli's replacement. Mihajlovic parted company with Catania earlier this week.